Railway-rail joint.



N0. 680,I95. Patented Aug. 6, l90l.

R. B. CHARLTON.

RA'ILWAY BAIL .mun.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1901.) (No Model.)

c e wag .3 003 CI WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

g limhamd, B.,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD B. CHARLTON, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE CONTINUOUSRAIL JOINT CO. OF AMERICA, OF NEW JERSEY.

RAlLWAY-'-RA lL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,195, dated August6, 1901. Application filed April 5, 1901- Serial No. 54,464;- (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD B. CHARLTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailway-Rail Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompany.-v ing drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

The objects of this invention are to provide for railway-rail joints aconnection which shall not project below the base of the rail, but atthe same time will press oppositely at its upper and lower edges againstthe head and base of the rail in a stable position, to secure a firmerpressure of the connection at its upper and lower edges against the headand base of the rail and a more elastic joint, to enable material of ahigher percentage of carbon to be employed, whereby the same stiffnessof parts with less weight is secured, and to obtain other advantages andresults some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection withthe description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved railway-rail joint and in thearrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially aswill be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of theclaim.

. Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views,Figure 1 shows my invention in side elevation as applied to the abuttingends of two rails. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same on line at,Fig. 1; and Figs. 3,4, and 5 are similar cross sectional viewsillustrating modifications of construction.

In said drawings, a a indicate the abutting ends of two railway-rails,each comprising an upright web a, head a", and base a the under surfaceof the head and the upper surface of the base diverging outward from theweb at each side thereof, as is usual.

My improved joint consists, broadly, of two fish-plates of peculiarconformation placed one at each side of the web a of the rails andadapted to bear at its upper and lower edges against the head a and basea of the rail, respectively. Each fish-plate is U-shaped incross-section or has longitudinal flanges projec'ting from the upper andlower edges of its upright portion, and between said flanges is adaptedto be arranged a spreading or rein The fish-plates are rolled out ofmetal, preferably steel, and each in its preferred form, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, has an upright body partb with outwardly-projectingflanges b 1), extending one obliquely downward from the bottom edge ofthe body part and the other obliquely upward from the top of the bodypart. These flanges are adapted at their line of junction with the bodypart a to engage the under side of the head and the upper side of thebase of the rail, respectively, as shown. Between the said flanges b I),which thus diverge outwardly apart, is adapted to be placed in uprightedgewise position a spreading or reinforcing plate 0, beveled at itsopposite edges to fit against the inner faces of the flanges b b andbeing of such width that it will enter the mouth of the channel-likehead and base of the rail and the wedge-likespreader or reinforcingplate is forced in between the flanges b of the fish-plate. The Whole isthus bound firmly and solidly together and a box-like girder-jointsecured. A washer g is preferably used beneath the nut (1 as is common.This construction distributes the strain between the body part?) of thefish-plate and the reinforcing-plate 0, thus enabling said parts to bemadethinner, whereby they may contain a higher percentage of carbon andstill be punched for the bolt-holes. This secures greater stifl'nes's,as well as economizes material. Again, no part of the joint projectsbelow the rail-base or plane of the tops of the ties, so that in layingthe ties they do not require to be accurately spaced to admitdownwardly-projecting parts. This saves labor and time, and,furthermore, the absence of do wnWardly-projecting parts permits aproper tamping of the tie directly beneath the rail.

' Obviously the spreading or reinforcing plate and the channeledfish-plate may be varied in form or shape without departing from thespiritand scope of my invention. In Figs. 1 and 2, for example, I haveshown a reinforcing-plate c at one side of the rail, which is bowedoutwardly to secure greater elasticity. In Fig. 3 the fish-plates efareshown in reversed position or with their upright body parts outward andflanges ef, respectively,

projecting toward the rail. One of these fishplates, as e, provides byits flanges 9' converging surfaces e while the other, f, providesdiverging surfaces f both with reference to the body of the fish-platespoken of. Spreading-platesc'careinsertedandaclamping-bolt (Z, whichdoes not pass through the 'fish-plate e, having converging flanges, but

engages at its head the spreading-platein said fish-plate. Fig. 4 showsthe same construction my improved box-girder connection on one side of arail in use, with a fish-plate 72s of an ordinary construction on theother side.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new isl. Arail-joint plate consisting of an elongated plate having a foot and topflangeprojiecting therefrom laterally in reversely-obing means adaptedto be forced between said flanges.

2. A box-girder fora rail-joint, comprising an elongated fish-platehaving a foot and top flange projecting therefrom laterally inreversely-oblique directions at the same side, and an interposedreinforcing-plate bearing against the inner surfaces of the foot and topflanges at a distance from the main plate.

3. A box-girder for a rail-joint, comprising an elongated fish-platehaving a foot and top flange projecting therefrom laterally inreversely-oblique directions at the same side, an interposedreinforcing-plate bearing against the inner surface of the foot and topflanges at a distance from the main plate, and means for clamping themembers together and to the 5. In a rail-joint, the combination with themeeting ends of two rails, having an upright Web and a head and baseforming at the under and upper sides, respectively, outwardlydivergingsurfaces, of a fish-plate having a body part adapted to lie parallel tothe railweb at a distance therefrom and having at its opposite edgesflanges projecting laterally at the same side and presentingoppositely-inclined surfaces on their inner faces and at their outerfaces being adapted to engage the head and base of the rail, a spreaderadapted to engage the inner inclined faces of the said flanges, andmeans for clamping said parts together.

6. In a rail-joint, the combination with a rail having an upright web, aheadand a base projecting therefrom and. forming at their facing sidesdivergent surfaces, of a fish-plate comprising a plate substantiallyU-shaped in cross-section and adapted to be laid between said head andbase of the'rail with its middle or body part parallel thereto, aspreading or reinforcing plate adapted to be inserted between theflanges of the fish plate parallel to i the body part, and bolts passingtransversely through the rail, fish-plate and spreader for clamping themtogether.

lique directions at the same side, and spread- In testimony that I claimthe foregoing I l have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of March,1901.

RICHARD B. CHARLTON.

Witnesses:

M. E. CHRISTENSEN, HUGH P. KAYE, Jr.

